In the early 20th century, calling oneself progressive was a self-designation used by both Republicans (Theodore Roosevelt) and Democrats (Woodrow Wilson).  It acknowledged or promoted certain reforms in the body politic, yet by calling oneself progressive, there was the hope of differentiating oneself in the minds of the public from the socialists.  Socialism was deemed part of European culture, a response to the bourgeois culture that had arisen under a system in which there still were kings and queens and an entrenched elite who were perpetuated by being born into the nobility.  Since the beginning of our country, Americans had seen themselves as re-inventing culture.  Thus, the solution to various problems posed by industrialization, the transportation revolution created by the railroads, scientific farming, land use issues, and the growing complexity of banking and finance were perceived by our leaders as requiring new institutions and ways...(Read Full Article)